Finally, we get the scoop on our beloved Smokey
Smoke Monster....
Unleashed!
Visual effects Supervisor Mitch Suskin reveals to The Official Lost Magazine, the challenges of bringing Smokey out to play in series four's episode The Shape of Things to Come.
The Shape of Things to Come really gave the audience its first long look at the smoke monster and what it's truly capable of doing. What were your marching orders in terms of how to portray it?
Well, for this episode the producers were pretty upfront from the beginning that Smokey, as we call it, was going to be in your face and we’d be seeing him. We had the cover of night, which we've never really done before. So we were more concerned, not about how much we were going to see him, but how we were going to make him visible – a blackish, smoke monster in the dark, in the forest, is tricky to see.
How much creative leeway did you have on establishing the details of Smokey's big entrance?
Jack Bender was fairly precise about what he wanted out of this. We scouted locations at several times and we talked about where Smokey might be entering from and what he might be doing. The script was clear on what was supposed to happen in the scene and it was clear that you had to see things. Sometimes we all have rough ideas and it's an evolving process. In this case with the script, what Mr. Bender requested and what he got, we had a strong idea of what to do but how to get there was hard. I mean its just smoke!
What was the most challenging shot?
The one shot that was most subject to interpretation was the shot where Smokey first appeared over the trees. We didn’t know what direction he was going to come from or how much interaction there was going to be, so that evolved over time. It just so happens the way it was shot there was a hole in the trees that made a nice place for him to coil into the shot.
It's a very menacing entrance, so did that evolve or was that clear from the start?
We tried a couple of different ways for him to enter but it wasn't clear if he was supposed to be pouring through or looking around, more cat-like. Then it was very clear from Damon and Carlton that they wanted it to come in like a rollercoaster or a freight train. They wanted it to be forceful and somewhat frightening. We had to spend a lot of time trying to get the smoke to look like something other than smoke in the sense of it moving and how it was lit. A lot of that was just trial and error. That shot, as far as performance, gave us the most to play with and the other shots were a lot of shots of him in the forest.
How were the forest shots different to create?
We were trying to strike a balance between how much we wanted to see him and how much we didn't want to see him and which was going to be scarier. A lot of those shots we were shooting in the forest at night with nothing out there, so there were lots of branches and leaves and we were trying to figure out how to put Smokey in the background. In this case, we didn't use digital trees. We used real trees from the forest. We spent a lot of time trying to come up with ways to separate the leaves and the branches from the background so we didn't have to paint mattes for every single leaf so we could put the shot together. The compositor came up with some mercifully clever techniques that allowed us to put Smokey way in the background. The digital tools we are using are getting better and better and we did do a little bit of rotoscoping [where animators trace over live-action movement frame-by-frame] to separate them, but there was more compositing magic to separate the trees and the branches. It's all about trying to define the foreground and putting Smokey in the background.
Source: sky1.com
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
'Lost' Star Donates to Toy Drive
The holiday season is the perfect time to help out the less-fortunate, and Lost's Daniel Dae Kim knows just how important that is. Along with his wife, the Korea-born actor aided the Marine Corps' Toys for Tots Hawaii Program with their donations.
With the shortfall in much needed toys for children, the Marines have been wishing for a bit more generosity until the last minutes before Christmas. They're hoping many others follow Daniel Dae Kim's example. A few days ago, he and his wife donated 500 toys for the Toys for Tots campaign at Kahala Mall.
The Marine Forces Pacific spokesman, Chuck Little, said that the need for toys has been met for every age group except for two. There haven't been enough contributions for boys and girls ages 8 to 10, as well as boys and girl 11 years and older.
“We're about 1,600 toys shy of being able to meet the need,” Little explained. “We're really concerned about making sure that everyone that requested donations gets something this year.”
Chuck Little continued to say that a collection point for the Marines, managed by the Salvation Army, will remain open until noon today. With just a few hours before Christmas, they're setting it up on the Costco side of Dole Cannery.
Little also shared a few words regarding the involvement of the Lost actor. “To say that (contribution) is overwhelming is a gross understatement,” he said. “That will go a long way toward helping meet the remaining need this year.”
Just this year, the Toys for Tots program collected about 30,000 toys. Thanks to Daniel Dae Kim and his wife, needy kids will benefit from their charity work. If these busy actors can do something as selfless as that, maybe us normal folks can find opportunities for that too. Besides, Lost won't be returning until January. This has to be a better use of our time, rather than watching reruns during the break.
Daniel Dae Kim has been known to appear in recurring roles on several sci-fi and fantasy shows. He has been seen on Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, Angel, and Charmed, as well as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Shield, Seinfeld, NYPD Blue and even ER. And even if his character doesn't speak enough English on Lost, Daniel Dae Kim sure knows the language of the Christmas season.
Source: buddytv
With the shortfall in much needed toys for children, the Marines have been wishing for a bit more generosity until the last minutes before Christmas. They're hoping many others follow Daniel Dae Kim's example. A few days ago, he and his wife donated 500 toys for the Toys for Tots campaign at Kahala Mall.
The Marine Forces Pacific spokesman, Chuck Little, said that the need for toys has been met for every age group except for two. There haven't been enough contributions for boys and girls ages 8 to 10, as well as boys and girl 11 years and older.
“We're about 1,600 toys shy of being able to meet the need,” Little explained. “We're really concerned about making sure that everyone that requested donations gets something this year.”
Chuck Little continued to say that a collection point for the Marines, managed by the Salvation Army, will remain open until noon today. With just a few hours before Christmas, they're setting it up on the Costco side of Dole Cannery.
Little also shared a few words regarding the involvement of the Lost actor. “To say that (contribution) is overwhelming is a gross understatement,” he said. “That will go a long way toward helping meet the remaining need this year.”
Just this year, the Toys for Tots program collected about 30,000 toys. Thanks to Daniel Dae Kim and his wife, needy kids will benefit from their charity work. If these busy actors can do something as selfless as that, maybe us normal folks can find opportunities for that too. Besides, Lost won't be returning until January. This has to be a better use of our time, rather than watching reruns during the break.
Daniel Dae Kim has been known to appear in recurring roles on several sci-fi and fantasy shows. He has been seen on Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, Angel, and Charmed, as well as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Shield, Seinfeld, NYPD Blue and even ER. And even if his character doesn't speak enough English on Lost, Daniel Dae Kim sure knows the language of the Christmas season.
Source: buddytv
Jorge Garcia Glad That Show Isn't 'Lost' On Fans
Comedian and actor Jorge Garcia is indebted to his fans, and is keen to appreciate the variety the audiences come in. He's even pleased that Lost is a big hit among the music crowd, especially members of the bands Metallica and Anthrax.
Though the series is returning on January 21 with a clip special to boot, the actors know how rabid the viewers still are. It's just a little surprising how rock stars and soul singers can also get a little weak-kneed when it comes to seeing their favorite actors.
“One of the biggest things for me was when we were at the Golden Globes,” Jorge Garcia admitted. “Seal came up to me, Daniel Dae Kim and Yunjin Kim and asked to get a picture with us. Holy cow! That's awesome.”
It seems as though anyone from the realms of heavy metal to R&B can be fanboy or a fangirl, especially with shows like Lost on television these days. Garcia, who plays the character Hurley Reyes on the series, went on to explain why he thinks the acclaimed ABC series is a hit with musicians.
“Because we're a very good DVD kind of show, I've run into a lot of musicians who are fans because they watch it on their tour buses and things like that,” the actor exclaimed.
Well then, they have a lot to look forward to. With ABC releasing Lost's fifth season in less than a month's time, there's no doubt the network will be plagued by fans once more. Sources reveal that the program will air uninterrupted, with a three-hour premiere consisting of a clip show and two new back-to-back episodes.
“This season, I think, is going to run straight through,” Garcia said. “Last season, they skipped a week before the finale and had a clip show, so we might do that. But for the most part, it should run straight through.”
Source: buddytv
Though the series is returning on January 21 with a clip special to boot, the actors know how rabid the viewers still are. It's just a little surprising how rock stars and soul singers can also get a little weak-kneed when it comes to seeing their favorite actors.
“One of the biggest things for me was when we were at the Golden Globes,” Jorge Garcia admitted. “Seal came up to me, Daniel Dae Kim and Yunjin Kim and asked to get a picture with us. Holy cow! That's awesome.”
It seems as though anyone from the realms of heavy metal to R&B can be fanboy or a fangirl, especially with shows like Lost on television these days. Garcia, who plays the character Hurley Reyes on the series, went on to explain why he thinks the acclaimed ABC series is a hit with musicians.
“Because we're a very good DVD kind of show, I've run into a lot of musicians who are fans because they watch it on their tour buses and things like that,” the actor exclaimed.
Well then, they have a lot to look forward to. With ABC releasing Lost's fifth season in less than a month's time, there's no doubt the network will be plagued by fans once more. Sources reveal that the program will air uninterrupted, with a three-hour premiere consisting of a clip show and two new back-to-back episodes.
“This season, I think, is going to run straight through,” Garcia said. “Last season, they skipped a week before the finale and had a clip show, so we might do that. But for the most part, it should run straight through.”
Source: buddytv
Jin Returns, kind of, well maybe, ish
Los Angeles, CA (CNS) - "Lost," ABC's show about the islands of misfits, will return soon for its fifth season and many fans are wondering about the whereabouts of Daniel Dae Kim, better known as Jin. When seen on last year's season finale of "Lost," it looked as if Jin was blown to pieces.
Celebrity News Service is just as anxious to see if Jin survived the explosion. Was all that screaming -- and darn good acting by the way -- of his TV wife Sun for naught? Sun is played by Yunjin Kim.
Word in Hawaii, where the show is filmed, is that Jin will reappear in the February 11 episode. Since it is "Lost," however, we won't know for certain if he is alive, dead, in a flashback, a figment of our imagination or possibly reincarnated. In a recent interview Daniel Dae said fans hoping for a Jin-Sun reunion shouldn't hold their breath. Remember when Sun went to Jin's grave with the baby and Hurley? It seems that is the only place she will see Jin for a while.
In real life, Daniel Dae is busy getting ready to star as the King of Siam in Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The King and I." He will make his theatrical singing debut in London at the Royal Albert Hall for two weeks in June.
Source: allheadlinenews
Celebrity News Service is just as anxious to see if Jin survived the explosion. Was all that screaming -- and darn good acting by the way -- of his TV wife Sun for naught? Sun is played by Yunjin Kim.
Word in Hawaii, where the show is filmed, is that Jin will reappear in the February 11 episode. Since it is "Lost," however, we won't know for certain if he is alive, dead, in a flashback, a figment of our imagination or possibly reincarnated. In a recent interview Daniel Dae said fans hoping for a Jin-Sun reunion shouldn't hold their breath. Remember when Sun went to Jin's grave with the baby and Hurley? It seems that is the only place she will see Jin for a while.
In real life, Daniel Dae is busy getting ready to star as the King of Siam in Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The King and I." He will make his theatrical singing debut in London at the Royal Albert Hall for two weeks in June.
Source: allheadlinenews
Jorge Garcia talks LOST...again
The final finale of "Lost" isn't expected 'til 2010, but already things are heating up on ABC's one-of-a-kind series, which begins airing its fifth season Jan. 21 with a three-hour premiere. Jorge Garcia -- aka Hurley -- reports that the cast did a lot of guessing about the mysteries surrounding their characters and their strange island surroundings "during Season 1, but after that it slowed down. Last season, when they announced there was going to be an ending, we started guessing again. There's definitely a sense of pacing that is going toward something on the show. We're excited, like Season 1."
According to him, "The stories are crazy this year. This one definitely takes it to another level." As for himself, the challenge in playing his lottery-winning, formerly institutionalized character remains "to try and make Hurley's craziness come from a real place. That has been a big challenge for me as an actor, along with some of the physical stuff. You have no idea how hard it is to march with purpose in sand in tennis shoes when you have to do it over and over again."
Source: National Ledger
According to him, "The stories are crazy this year. This one definitely takes it to another level." As for himself, the challenge in playing his lottery-winning, formerly institutionalized character remains "to try and make Hurley's craziness come from a real place. That has been a big challenge for me as an actor, along with some of the physical stuff. You have no idea how hard it is to march with purpose in sand in tennis shoes when you have to do it over and over again."
Source: National Ledger
Josh Holloway to be a dad
Josh Holloway, Lost’s Sawyer is expecting his first child with wife Yessica reports TV Guide’s senior editor Will Keck exclusively in his column,What the Keck?!
Josh Holloway, who is currently on location in Hawaii
filming Season 5 of the hit show, confirmed that he and Yessica will be welcoming a little Sawyer or Sawyerette in 2009.
Source: thebosh
Josh Holloway, who is currently on location in Hawaii
filming Season 5 of the hit show, confirmed that he and Yessica will be welcoming a little Sawyer or Sawyerette in 2009.
Source: thebosh
Naveen Andrews's Custody Case Weirder than 'Lost' Episode
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In a story almost as twisted and confusing as an episode of "Lost," actor Naveen Andrews, who plays Sayiid on the show, has been granted custody of his son--under circumstances that involve talk of poison and witchcraft. This actually sounds better than an episode of "Lost"...witchcraft always trumps polar bears.
Andrews was granted custody after the mother of his child broke the arrangements of their custody agreement by taking their son Naveen Joshua out of Los Angeles County, and by preventing Andrews from seeing his son. A courtroom battle went down, during which Elana Eustache, the mother of the child, made all sorts of allegations, including that Andrews had tried to poison their son and that Andrews's longtime girlfriend Barbara Hershey should be kept away from the little boy because she practiced witchcraft.
What the eff?
Not surprisingly, it was requested during the hearing that Eustache undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
Naveen Joshua had been brought to court with his mother, but left with his obviously saner father. Andrews was granted permission to bring the boy to Hawaii where the new season of "Lost" is currently in production. Neither Andrews nor Hershey seem to have struck the court as particularly poisonous, or witchlike, as both were granted permission to care for the boy.
Andrews and Hershey split briefly in 2005 and Andrews later admitted to fathering a child with Eustache during that time. After reuniting with Hershey and learning about his son, Andrews released a statement saying that he had "every intention of assuming appropriate responsibility" for the child and "acting "with all integrity." Which may or may not involve boiling rabbits in black cauldrons while his girlfriend wears a pointy hat and rides a broom. Only time will tell.
We wish little Naveen lots of days of happiness in the Hawaiian sun. Also, if he's able to pick up any secrets that solve some of the greater "Lost" mysteries under the guise of just hanging out on the beach and building sandcastles with Evangeline Lilly, we would appreciate him leaking them to us promptly.
Source: actressarchives.com
In a story almost as twisted and confusing as an episode of "Lost," actor Naveen Andrews, who plays Sayiid on the show, has been granted custody of his son--under circumstances that involve talk of poison and witchcraft. This actually sounds better than an episode of "Lost"...witchcraft always trumps polar bears.
Andrews was granted custody after the mother of his child broke the arrangements of their custody agreement by taking their son Naveen Joshua out of Los Angeles County, and by preventing Andrews from seeing his son. A courtroom battle went down, during which Elana Eustache, the mother of the child, made all sorts of allegations, including that Andrews had tried to poison their son and that Andrews's longtime girlfriend Barbara Hershey should be kept away from the little boy because she practiced witchcraft.
What the eff?
Not surprisingly, it was requested during the hearing that Eustache undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
Naveen Joshua had been brought to court with his mother, but left with his obviously saner father. Andrews was granted permission to bring the boy to Hawaii where the new season of "Lost" is currently in production. Neither Andrews nor Hershey seem to have struck the court as particularly poisonous, or witchlike, as both were granted permission to care for the boy.
Andrews and Hershey split briefly in 2005 and Andrews later admitted to fathering a child with Eustache during that time. After reuniting with Hershey and learning about his son, Andrews released a statement saying that he had "every intention of assuming appropriate responsibility" for the child and "acting "with all integrity." Which may or may not involve boiling rabbits in black cauldrons while his girlfriend wears a pointy hat and rides a broom. Only time will tell.
We wish little Naveen lots of days of happiness in the Hawaiian sun. Also, if he's able to pick up any secrets that solve some of the greater "Lost" mysteries under the guise of just hanging out on the beach and building sandcastles with Evangeline Lilly, we would appreciate him leaking them to us promptly.
Source: actressarchives.com
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